


Oliver Copperfield: 1855-1865

by TJW2



Category: Historical RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 07:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10407129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJW2/pseuds/TJW2
Summary: A little boy becomes the man of the house all of of a sudden when his father and brother are whisked off to war. He must learn to take a job and make wages for his family, perhaps at the cost the of his own health and safety; will he survive?Read his journal to find out.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any typos and/or mistakes in the work. I'll be trying to keep things clean for readers here. Thanks for the support!

**October 15, 1855**  
When I first heard of the war in the east from my mum, I didn’t grasp its magnitude. My papa, George, is a sailor. He fought in the War of 1812 and the Opium War; he has a pension of sorts, as well as a uniform, rifle, bayonet and revolver. He had reached the rank of Second Master by the time he returned. I turned twelve last week. I’m not a kid anymore; I'm almost a man, like my older brother, Colin, who is in the Royal Navy as well as a Master-at-Arms. I have five siblings: Colin, Ebba, William, Wiley, and Henry, respectively. I’m the third child, born after Colin (the firstborn) and Ebba (second born), and before the other three. I want to be a sailor like my father; hopefully the captain of a ship one day. My life changed today. Father came home with news that Shipbuilders had made the first ever steamship. This meant, he explained to me, that people and things could be transported much faster across the ocean than before. He was so happy to talk about it.  
**October 10, 1856**  
Papa came home with a solemn, stern look on his face. He didn’t greet us as usual; he just walked upstairs to his room where Mummy was knitting a new shirt for Will. Three minutes passed, and I could hear her start to cry; I went upstairs to find out why. The door was a tad bit ajar; I could hear and see what was going on. I could see mother swaying back and forth, back and forth, snivelling softly in her rocking chair. “I got the summons this morning. The Chinese have ruined the treaty; they've already reinstated hostilities. Colin and I must leave in the next 48 hours; the ship is already on its way.” The snuffling quickly worsened to a weeping which was subsequently dampened and smothered by my father’s shirt when she shot up and hugged him as tightly as she ever could. “Please, don’t go”, she said, “I can’t let you go.” “My darling Abigail, you know we must. We have our orders.” “It’ll break me, John. You know that. You know that better than anyone.” “We must go, Colin and I, and we must tell the children.” “You can’t.” “We must.” “I’ll die, John—” “—It is our duty. For Queen and Country. Long live Queen Victoria….” Mummy’s muffled crying and my Papa’s quiet, futile consolations continued on, sporadically to say the least. They melded into the ambience of our country home near Woolwich.  
**October 13, 1856**  
The ship my father and brother boarded, the _HMS Nankin_ , was ready to go. They both said their goodbyes to the rest of the family; Mummy made them both promise to do their best to come back to her alive and well. Then I heard it. My heart dropped like a boulder sinking into the sea. The boarding announcer on the starboard side, facing the dock, looked at his wax tablet and called out with his speaking trumpet, “John Copperfield, Second Master, board now. Colin Copperfield, MAA, board now.” We sustained our group hug for as long as we could; the two men attending the gangway finally said in an understanding, sympathetic but forceful tone that it was time to go. We watched the rest of the soldiers enter the ship. At long last, the ship weighed anchor and was off. Mummy, Ebba, Will, Wiley, Henry and I all gazed as the _HMS Nankin_ whisked our father and brother away.

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: With the exception of Constable John Braxton, who was the first constable of Kent county in England, ALL characters are fictional. They are owned by me and can, therefore, be used by me at my leisure. The story in its entirety is my own work; any type of reproduction without the writer’s prestated consent is prohibited.


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